Infusion container

ABSTRACT

An infusion container having an interior receiving a liquid to be infused and an infusible substance. Mounted to the container is a pivotal member which cooperates with a baffle means to define a region in the container which receives the infusible substance. Both the pivotal member and baffle means are adapted to permit passage of the infusing liquid, but not of the infusible substance. In use, the pivotal member can be pivoted through the interior by moving handle, to lift the infusible substance out of the infusing liquid to halt the infusion process at the desired time.

The present invention relates to a container, such as a teapot, forinfusing an infusible substance, and in particular to such a containerin which the infusible substance may be isolated from the infusingliquid to stop infusion after a given period of time.

When infusing substances such as tea or coffee in a liquid, such as hotwater, it is usually desirable to be able to stop further infusion oncethe infusion has reached the required strength. This can be achieved byremoving either the infused liquid or the infusible substance from thecontainer in which infusion occurs, but this is not always practical.Thus the infused liquid is often left in contact with the infusiblesubstance after the desired infusion strength has been reached, suchthat any remaining liquid is then infused too strongly.

A number of containers for infusing liquids have therefore beendeveloped in which the liquid and infusible substance can be isolatedone from another in the same container in use, whereby infusion may bestopped without the need to remove either component from the container.

Ideally such containers would be relatively easy and inexpensive toproduce, simple and effective to use and sufficiently robust towithstand the repeated, frequent use to which they are likely to besubjected.

One such container is described in EP-B-0569435. That container has afilter insert including a plunger which can be depressed to isolate theinfusible substance from the liquid when it is desired to stop infusion.However, it is a relatively complex and thus expensive mechanicalarrangement and, furthermore, prior to use the plunger shaft standsproud of the container, which is both ungainly and potentially exposedto being knocked over accidentally. Other prior art containers similarlysuffer from drawbacks.

There is a demand for an improved container of the type discussed and itis therefore an object of the present invention to provide analternative, improved such container, which is particularly, but notexclusively, suited to infusing infusion bags, such as tea and coffeebags.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is providedan infusion container for receiving an infusing liquid and an infusiblesubstance, and having a pivotal member mounted to the container andpivotable by a user to move through at least part of the interior of thecontainer in such a way as to substantially isolate the infusiblesubstance from the infusing liquid.

The present invention uses a pivotal member to isolate the infusiblesubstance from the liquid and thereby halt the infusion process at atime chosen by the user. This is a mechanically simple arrangement whichcan isolate the infusible substance from the liquid for all liquidlevels in the container up to the normal maximum fill level. A pivotalarrangement can be sufficiently robust to withstand repeated use anddoes not require any complex (and thus expensive) components which mightbe more susceptible to damage and wear and tear. Such an arrangement isalso more compact than a linearly moving plunger, for example, and thusdoes not affect substantially the external dimensions of the containerduring use.

Although the pivotal member can take any suitable form and have anysuitable pivotal arrangement, it is preferably generally in the form ofa paddle having a single pivot near or at one end thereof. The pivotalmember can then extend from that pivot into the container's interior.This arrangement achieves the necessary pivotal action and is of a shapesuitable to strain solids from a liquid, without any unnecessarycomplexity.

The pivotal member is preferably coupled to a handle operable by a userto pivot the pivotal member. The handle and pivotal member may beintegral with the handle extending externally of the container, beyondthe pivotal mounting of the pivotal member. In this way pivotal motionof the handle can be directly translated to pivotal motion of thepivotal member without any further moving parts. A handle which extendsexternally of the container can be operated without the need to open thecontainer.

The handle of the pivotal member is preferably positioned close to themain handle, if any, of the container, such that both handles can beused simultaneously with the same hand.

In one embodiment the container is provided with a pivotally mountedlid, and the lid and pivotal member are arranged to pivot about the sameaxis and have a common mounting means. This means that only one pivotarrangement need be provided in the container. In this case, the lid andpivotal member are preferably arranged to be pivotal independently ofone another.

The pivotal member is preferably arranged to move through substantiallythe entirety of the region in the container in which the infusiblesubstance is received, so as to ensure that the pivotal member isolatessubstantially all of the infusible substance from the infusing liquidwhen operated. The pivotal member and container interior walls can beappropriately shaped to achieve this, but this places constraints on thedesign of the container. It is therefore much preferred to providebaffle means within the container which cooperates with the pivotalmember to define a region in the container's interior which receives theinfusible substance in use and through substantially the entirety ofwhich the pivotal member moves when operated. The baffle means can, forexample, be positioned sufficiently close to the pivotal member suchthat the infusible substance cannot pass between them and can be shapedso as to follow the arc traced by the distal end of the pivotal member.This ensures that the infusible substance remains in the region boundedby the pivotal member and baffle means.

The pivotal member and baffle means, if any, should be of a form whichpermits passage of the infusing liquid, but not of the infusiblesubstance, such as, for example, fine meshed sieves. If infusing solelyinfusion bags such as tea and coffee bags and the like, the pivotalmember and baffle means can have larger openings of any desired shape,e.g. circular, but which openings are still small enough to preventpassage of an infusion bag. In a particularly preferred such embodiment,they comprise a plurality of spaced-apart bars.

The pivotal member can be arranged to isolate the infusible substance bysealing it in a liquid-tight manner e.g. against an interior wall of thecontainer but is most preferably arranged to lift the infusiblesubstance out of the infusing liquid.

The pivotal member is thus preferably arranged to pivot between a firstposition in which it depends towards the base of the container to permitinfusion and a second, operated position in which it lies substantiallyhorizontally above the normal maximum level of the liquid (which levelcan readily be indicated by a maximum liquid fill mark in thecontainer).

The pivotal member is preferably arranged to remain in its operatedposition once moved to that position by a user, for example by engaginga suitably positioned catch or clip on the container, or by a frictionfit with part of the container. In a particularly preferred embodimentthe pivotal member is arranged to engage a clip on the lid of thecontainer.

The pivotal member preferably also returns of its own accord to thefirst position unless operated. Most preferably, the pivotal member isarranged to return automatically to its first, unoperated position readyfor use whenever the lid is opened. This can be achieved, for example,by arranging the clip on the lid of the container to disengage when thelid is opened such that the pivotal member is released.

The container preferably is transparent or has a transparent portionwhich permits observation of the infusing liquid during infusion. Thisenables the infusing liquid to be seen easily without opening the lid orpouring any liquid, such that a user can readily halt infusion when theinfusion is observed to have reached the desired strength.

The transparent portion of the container can be made of any suitabletransparent material such as a transparent polymer. In a particularlypreferred embodiment the transparent portion is made of amorphous nylon.This is a sufficiently robust material which is chemical resistant andwill remain clear even after repeated washing. An alternative materialhaving similar advantages is methyl-pentene copolymer.

The above materials are advantageous for use in transparent infusioncontainers generally and thus according to a second aspect of thepresent invention, there is provided an infusion container for receivingan infusing liquid and an infusible substance, wherein at least aportion of the container is transparent and the transparent portioncomprises amorphous nylon or methyl-pentene copolymer.

Although the present invention is particularly suited to containers suchas tea pots and coffee pots for infusing infusible substances in theform of infusion bags, such as tea and coffee bags, it is equallyapplicable to other forms of infusible substance such as tea leaves orcoffee grounds, and other types of infusion containers.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described byway of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:-

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of the infusion container ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the container of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a further side view of the container of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show cross-sectional side views of the containerof the present invention in use.

In FIG. 1 the container 1 of the present invention is shown as a teapot. However, the invention is equally applicable to other forms ofinfusion container, as noted previously.

The container 1 receives in its interior 2 the liquid to be infused andthe infusible substance. A spout 3 for pouring the liquid from thecontainer 1 communicates via an opening 4 with the interior 2. A mainhandle 5 is provided for lifting and pouring the container.

The container 1 also has a lid 6 which is pivotally mounted about a rod7 located near the handle 5 of the container 1 to enable it to be openedand closed. The lid 6 closes the top opening 8 of the container 1 andwhen opened permits filling of the container 1 with infusible substanceand infusing liquid. The lid engages a catch 13 to prevent it fromopening accidentally.

The container 1 has a pivotal member 9 which is pivotally mountedtowards one end thereof on the rod 7 (which also mounts the lid 8). Thelid 6 and pivotal member 9 are arranged to pivot independently of eachother about the rod 7.

The pivotal member 9 is planar in form and has a plurality of spacedapart bars 10 which extend into the interior 2 (see FIG. 2). The barsare spaced apart such that they permit flow of liquid therebetween, butprevent an infusion bag, such as a tea bag, from passing between them.

The other end of the pivotal member has a handle 11 integrally formedtherewith, which handle can be operated by a user to pivot the pivotalmember 9 about the rod 7 to move it between a first position as shown indashed outline and a second, operated position, in which it liessubstantially horizontally, as shown in solid outline.

A maximum liquid fill mark can be provided on the container at a levelbelow the level of the pivotal member when in its horizontal position,to enable a user to ensure that the container is not filled to a levelat which the pivotal member will not work to halt infusion.

The container also has a baffle means 12 which comprises a plurality ofspaced apart bars. The bars are so spaced as to permit passage ofinfusing liquid therebetween, but prevent passage of an infusion bag.

The pivotal member 9 and baffle means 12 are arranged to liesufficiently close to one another such that the infusible substance (inthis case an infusion bag) is substantially prevented from passingthrough the gap between them. The baffle means 12 is shaped to followthe arc scribed by the distal end of the pivotal member 9 so that theirspacing remains substantially constant. The pivotal member 9 is furtherprovided with pins 14 which interlay the bars of the baffle means 12.The pins 14 help to locate the pivotal member 9 and baffle means 12relative to each other and to prevent the pivotal member 9 from beingover flexed. The pivotal member 9 and baffle means 12 are also arrangedto cover substantially the entire width of the interior 2 of thecontainer. In this manner, the interior walls of the container, thepivotal member 9 and the baffle means 12 cooperate to define a region 15in the container which receives the infusible substance and through theentirety of which the pivotal member moves as it pivots.

The pivotal member has a catch 16 which engages a corresponding clip 17on the lid 6 when the lid is closed and the pivotal member is in itshorizontal, operated position. This arrangement retains the pivotalmember in its horizontal position without the need for the user tomaintain any pressure on the handle 11. The catch is released by openingthe lid 6 and the pivotal member 9 is arranged to return under its ownweight to its first position once released. The pivotal member 9 thusdrops down automatically whenever the lid is opened to ensure that thereis maximum space to accommodate the infusible substance and a reducedrisk of hot infusing liquid splashing off the pivotal member and out ofthe container during filling.

The pivotal member could alternatively be retained in its horizontalposition by frictional engagement against other parts of the container,for example between the pins 14 and the bars of the baffle means 12.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the container 1 of the present invention. Itcan be seen that a lower portion 18 of the container 1 is transparent.This permits the infusing liquid to be seen throughout infusion, suchthat a user can readily observe when sufficient infusion has takenplace. The transparent portion 18 of the container can be made of anysuitable transparent material, such as e.g. amorphous nylon 12 (e.g.TR55 Grilamid from EMS-Chemie of Switzerland), or TPX methyl-pentenecopolymer (available from Mitsui & Co UK Ltd). The upper portion of thecontainer 1 can also be made from a polymeric material, such asamorphous nylon which has been pigmented, and the two portions can bewelded together.

In use, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid 6 of the container is opened (thelid 6 can be arranged to stop against the pivotal member 9 when openedhalfway, as shown) and the interior 2 of the container 1 is initiallyfilled with the liquid 19 to be infused. An infusion bag such as a teabag 20 is added to the infusing liquid in the region 15 defined betweenthe pivotal member 9 and baffle means 12 to commence infusion.

The lid 6 can then be closed without moving the pivotal member 9 whilstinfusion takes place (FIG. 5). The pivotal member 9 can be movedslightly as shown to agitate the infusion, if desired.

Once the liquid has infused to the desired extent, infusion can behalted as shown in FIG. 6 by the user depressing the handle 11 to pivotthe pivotal member 9 to a horizontal position in which it engages theclip 17 on the lid 6 to hold the tea bag 20 above the level of theinfusing liquid 19. Infusion is thereby halted and the infused liquidcan be dispensed as desired via the spout 3.

The engagement between the catch 16 of the pivotal member and the clip17 of the lid 6 retains the pivotal member in its horizontal positioneven under the weight of the wet tea bag 20, such that the user does notneed to maintain downward pressure on the handle 11 to keep the infusingprocess halted.

The pivotal member 9 is released by opening the lid 6, and returns toits first position under its own weight (FIG. 7).

The lid 6 can be fully opened and the pivotal member 9 raised forcleaning purposes as shown in FIG. 8.

Although described with reference to a tea pot and tea bags, thecontainer of the present invention is equally applicable to coffee potsand coffee bags, and furthermore to any other form of infusiblesubstance and infusion container. In the case of tea leaves, forexample, the pivotal member 9 and baffle means 12 can comprisesfine-meshed sieves which prevent passage of tea leaves. The basicoperation of the pivotal member 9 remains exactly the same.

We claim:
 1. An infusion container for receiving an infusing liquid andan infusible substance, and having a pivotal member mounted to thecontainer and pivotable by a user to move through at least part of theinterior of the container in such a way as to substantially isolate theinfusible substance from the infusing liquid, wherein the container hasa transparent lower portion which permits observation of the infusingliquid during infusion and an upper portion which is not transparent. 2.An infusion container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivotal memberis in the form of a paddle having a single pivot near or at one endthereof.
 3. An infusion container as claimed in claim 1 wherein thepivotal member has an integral handle, operable by a user to pivot thepivotal member extending externally of the container beyond the pivotalmounting of the pivotal member.
 4. An infusion container as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the container has a handle, and the handle of thepivotal member is positioned such that both handles can be usedsimultaneously with the same hand.
 5. An infusion container as claimed1, wherein the pivotal member is arranged to lift the infusiblesubstance out of the infusing liquid when operated to substantiallyisolate the infusible substance from the infusing liquid.
 6. An infusioncontainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weight of said pivotalmember is distributed so as to cause said pivotal member to pivot to itsunoperated position which permits infusion unless operated.
 7. Aninfusion container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container has alid, and the weight of said pivotal member is distributed so as to causesaid pivotal member to return automatically to its unoperated positionready for use whenever the lid is opened.
 8. An infusion container asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising a clip arrangement which willretain the pivotal member automatically in its operated position inwhich the infusible substance is substantially isolated from theinfusing liquid once moved to that position by a user.
 9. An infusioncontainer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container has a lid havinga clip, and the pivotal member is arranged to engage the clip on the lidof the container when moved to its operated position in which theinfusible substance is substantially isolated from the infusing liquidwhen the lid is closed to retain it in that operated position.
 10. Aninfusion container as claimed 1, wherein the pivotal member is arrangedto pivot between a first position in which it depends towards the baseof the container to permit infusion and a second, operated position inwhich it lies substantially horizontally.
 11. An infusion container asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent portion is made of amorphousnylon or methyl-pentene copolymer.
 12. An infusion container forreceiving an infusing liquid and an infusible substance, and having apivotal member mounted to the container and pivotable by a user to movethrough at least part of the interior of the container in such a way asto substantially isolate the infusible substance from the infusingliquid, wherein the container is provided with a pivotally mounted lid,and the lid and pivotal member are arranged to pivot independently ofone another about the same axis and have a common mounting means.
 13. Aninfusion container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pivotal member isin the form of a paddle having single pivot near or at one end thereof.14. An infusion container as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pivotalmember has an integral handle operable by a user to pivot the pivotalmember extending externally of the container beyond the pivotal mountingof the pivotal member, the container has a handle, and the handle of thepivotal member is positioned such that both handles can be usedsimultaneously with the same hand.
 15. An infusion container as claimedin claim 12, wherein the container has a transparent portion whichpermits observation of the infusing liquid during infusion.
 16. Aninfusion container for receiving an infusing liquid and an infusiblesubstance, and having a pivotal member mounted to the container andpivotable by a user to move through at least part of the interior of thecontainer in such a way as to substantially isolate the infusiblesubstance from the infusing liquid, wherein baffle means is providedwithin the container which cooperates with the pivotal member to definea region in the container's interior which receives the infusiblesubstance in use, and the pivotal member is moveable throughsubstantially the entirety of said defined region in use.
 17. Aninfusion container as claimed in claim 16, wherein the baffle means ispositioned sufficiently close to the pivotal member that the infusiblesubstance cannot pass between them, and is shaped so as to follow thearc traced by the distal end of the pivotal member as it moves withinthe container when operated.
 18. An infusion container as claimed inclaim 16, wherein the pivotal member is arranged to pivot between afirst position in which it depends towards the base of the container topermit infusion and a second, operated position in which it liessubstantially horizontally.
 19. An infusion container as claimed inclaim 18, wherein the pivotal member substantially isolates theinfusible substance from the infusing liquid when in said secondposition.
 20. An infusion container as claimed in claim 19, wherein theweight of said pivotable member is distributed so as to cause saidpivotable member to pivot to said first position unless operated.
 21. Aninfusion container as claimed in claim 16, wherein the pivotal member isin the form of a paddle having a single pivot near or at one endthereof.
 22. An infusion container as claimed in claim 16, wherein thepivotal member has an integral handle operable by a user to pivot thepivotal member extending externally of the container beyond the pivotalmounting of the pivotal member, the container has a handle, and thehandle of the pivotal member is positioned such that both handles can beused simultaneously with the same hand.
 23. An infusion container asclaimed in claim 16, wherein the container has a transparent portionwhich permits observation of the infusing liquid during infusion.
 24. Aninfusion container for receiving an infusing liquid and an infusiblesubstance, and having a pivotal member mounted to the container andpivotable by a user to move through at least part of the interior of thecontainer between a first position in which it permits infusion and asecond, operated position in which it substantially isolates theinfusible substance from the infusing liquid, wherein the container hasa lid having a clip, and the pivotal member is arranged to engage theclip on the lid of the container when moved to its second, operatedposition when the lid is closed to retain it in that operated position,and wherein the clip on the lid of the container is arranged todisengage when the lid is opened such that the pivotal member isreleased.
 25. An infusion container as claimed in claim 24, wherein thepivotal member is in the form of a paddle having a single pivot near orat one end thereof.
 26. An infusion container as claimed in claim 24,wherein the pivotal member has an integral handle operable by a user topivot the pivotal member extending externally of the container beyondthe pivotal mounting of the pivotal member, the container has a handle,and the handle of the pivotal member is positioned such that bothhandles can be used simultaneously with the same hand.
 27. An infusioncontainer as claimed in claim 24, wherein the container has atransparent portion which permits observation of the infusing liquidduring infusion.